Hey Sally, can you start by telling us when you started training and why?

I was always pretty active growing up; I participated in a lot of school sport and was heavily involved in the circus, performing for the majority of my teenage years. I slowly stopped being involved in the circus as my focus began to shift toward my study in interior design.

I have never been upset with my appearance, but I was a little disappointed in myself for giving up my hobby so easily. I signed up for a 12-week challenge with Goodlife health clubs and that was when I started consistently training and focusing on my nutrition.

Do you remember your first training session?

I do. It was with weights much lighter than I use now, but I was always interested in technique and form and making sure I was performing the exercises correctly. Today, training has a more strength-based approach, with lower rep ranges and heavier weights.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of training for you?

Seeing the numbers increase as you get stronger. It’s so empowering to know that you are stronger than you were last week, month or year.

What has continued to motivate you throughout your training?

Myself and my will to be better than I was yesterday.

What have you had to overcome to get to where you are today?

A few competition results that weren’t exactly what I had hoped for. In my first two competitions (INBA in 2014 and WBFF in 2015), I did not make the top 10. While I was really proud of myself for pushing myself and being in the best condition of my life for both, I was still disappointed with the result. It would have been easy for me to give up and try another sport, but instead I used it to motivate me.

What is the number one lesson you have learnt about health and fitness through your training?

There is more than one way to do things, and the first thing you try may not be the method for you.

Do you have a quote that you live by?

“Walk like you wear a crown and you will.” If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else? I think this quote is a great reminder of this.

What was your reason for taking health and fitness to the level you have?

To test and push the boundaries of what I’m capable of and to constantly prove to myself that I can do anything I set my mind to.

What advice would you give to women wanting to get into the best shape of their life?

Find a coach, trainer or group of people who can be there to support you, push you and keep you accountable.

What is the most important thing women need to remember when training?

As long as you are training harder than you did last week, you are making progress. It’s you versus you.

We all have days where motivation is low; how do you overcome these?

Know your goal and the steps you need to take to achieve it. I cannot tell you how many days during my last prep I did not want to go to the gym after working a 12-hour day. What I wanted more than crawling into bed and getting a good night’s sleep was my Pro card, and that meant I needed to go to the gym and train harder than I did the week before.

What is the highlight from your time competing?

Winning my Pro card at the May 2016 WBFF show. I proved to myself that if I wanted something badly enough, I would find a way to put in the required effort to achieve the desired outcome.